


Itadakimasu

by WizardsGirl



Series: My Many Naruto OC's [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: (Its an Akimichi fic, Abnormal Strength, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Challenge Accepted!Character, Chokasho is tired of your prejudicial bullshit bye, Chubby OC, Death, Determination, Enthusiasm, Fat Shaming, Fierce Female Protagonist, Food Porn, Minor body dysphoria, Muder, Multi, Ninjaness, No literally if you say "Bet you cant!" she will FIGHT YOU, Rookie Nine Timeline but NOT on one of the Rookie Nine Teams, Semi-Dark Themes, Stereotypes, Strict Ethical Code, Strict Moral Code, Torture, anger issues, lesbian main character, of COURSE there will be some food porn!)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 07:03:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11984652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizardsGirl/pseuds/WizardsGirl
Summary: She had come into this new world still choking on the water she'd drowned in, but that didn't mean her previous life was going to drag her down. Quite the opposite, actually, and if ANYONE thought that just because she wasn't a toothpick, that she wasn't beautiful and awesome and could totally kick ass?She was going to kick THEM, SO HARD they would NEVER regain feeling in certain places.





	1. Rebirth

**Author's Note:**

> Have this~!

_**Prologue** _

_Rebirth_

  
  


Laura Collins died a twenty-year-old country girl with a love for food and a temper that made an in-rut Bull look like a polite young thing. She'd had blond hair, brown eyes, freckles, and a birthmark that looked almost like Texas on her left ass-cheek that her best friend Terri thought was _hilarious_. She loved to cook, loved to eat, loved to garden and ride horses and play with her Uncle Charles' hound dog, Moe. She had a lot of friends, was friendly and protective and loved to challenge herself (She once ran a ten-mile marathon that put her in the hospital because she wanted to 'see if she could do it'.)

She lived a full, happy life.

She died saving a little boy from drowning in the river.

Little Mikey Yates was seven (and a half!) and was fearless in the way all young boys with their friends are. Johnny bet he couldn't swim across the river, Mikey said he could, and Trevor triple-dog- _dared_ him to. So, Mikey had.

Only, there was a strong undercurrent that ran through the very center of the part of the river they were at. Moe had been leading Laura through the bushes as they'd been mushroom hunting, and had started bellowing along with the boys when they'd started screaming. Mikey had been pulled under the dark water, and Laura had only caught a glimpse of his little, flailing limbs, before she'd kicked off her shoes and leaped in after him.

She remembered the lukewarm feeling of the top water, before the current had snatched her up and dragged her through the almost icy depths. Thankfully, she was a good deal heavier and stronger than little Mikey, and knew how to swim with the current. She'd managed to catch up with him, managed to yank his head up, and hold him mostly up even as she was repeatedly forced under.

They'd smashed into a log that was still half-grounded in the bank, and she'd had just enough time to make sure he was on top of it and in no place to fall back in, before she was dragged back under.

Drowning is one of the most painful experiences Laura has ever had. It wasn't the same as the broken arm she'd gotten (Twice), or the broken toes (countless times). It wasn't the same as the year she got pneumonia and thought her lungs were stuffed with thick sludge that made her every breath whistle.

It was like...

Like her lungs were filling with wet sand, slow and cold and impossible to get rid of, filling her chest with a heavy weight that made her head feel stuffed with cotton and her hearing fade.

As the world became dark and muddy and cold, she could barely hear Moe bellowing through the muffled sound of her heartbeat.

And then...

She was gone.

…................

Akimichi Chokasho, younger twin sister of Akimichi Choji, wasn't breathing for two full minutes after birth. It wasn't until the panicked form of her father, Choza, turned her mostly upside-down and firmly smacked her back, that she coughed up an abnormally large amount of fluid. Her cry was weak and high, after that, but clear enough, to her mother and fathers tearful relief. She was watched intently for days, despite Medic-nin's reassuring the parents again and again that there was no lasting damage.

Chokasho was twenty, painful minutes younger than her twin, and one whole pound heavier. They shared their father's spiky hair, only in pale brown instead of red, with Chokasho's being a little different, more copper than her brother's tawny. Like all members of the Akimichi Clan, they both bore unique facial markings. Choza, their father, bore a wavy, lavender stripe on both cheeks. Chohana, their mother, had bright orange streaks on her upper eyelids. Choji had gotten a large red swirl on each cheek, and Chokasho had gotten large, paisley markings over her eyes in dark, bruised purple. The rounded part of the markings covered most of her eyes, and dripped sharply down her cheeks to end just past her little nose.

Both babies were loud but rather happy, and voracious eaters, who moved quickly from breast-milk to baby food, just like all Akimichi babes did. The only hiccup that their parents had, was that little Chokasho never slept through the night. She would always wake up, for an hour or two at a time, crying softly into her pink blanket. She was soothed back to sleep easily enough, but the nights continued like that, until she was nearly three. After that, however, she slept through the nights and they thought no more of it.

Life went on.

…...................

Three-year-old Chokasho stared at herself in the mirror seriously, reaching up with pudgy fingers to touch her copper-brown hair, her pudgy cheeks, her bruised-paisleys. She stared into her nearly-black brown eyes, and Chokasho stared back at her. Not Laura, not the young woman she once was. Just Akimichi Chokasho, a three-year-old girl who loved beef jerky and the color pink. Not the twenty-year-old who loved blueberry muffins and the color green.

Chokasho was relieved.

She'd been dreaming of Laura for so long, of her life, her _death_ , that she'd been afraid of _being_ her. She hadn't wanted to be Laura, she'd wanted her Kaachan and Touchan and Aniki and she wanted to be _herself_. But, staring in the mirror, she didn't see _Laura_. She didn't _think_ she was Laura. She _knew_ she was Chokasho. She _knew_ she would _always_ be Chokasho. So what if she _used to be_ Laura? She wasn't anymore. Laura taught her life and laughter and colors and love, and showed her a life where she died protecting someone, and that, at least, Chokasho would cherish. Forever. And sometimes, she just _knew things_ that she didn't understand, because Laura had been a _grown-up_ , and Chokasho was a _child_ , so sometimes she _knew_ but didn't _understand_. Still, she found comfort in that, in _knowing_ things, and was grateful for it all...

But she and Laura _weren't the same_. And she was _happy_ about that.

Nodding firmly to herself, Chokasho stepped back from the mirror and straightened her pink shirt, the white kanji for 'food' on her round belly. She was wearing her brother's green shorts today, and pink sandals, and she relished in the knowledge that she was _herself_.

“Chokasho!” Kaachan called. “Come here, my little dumpling, and help your Kaachan make lunch!” Immediately, Chokasho's face lit up and she spun, spiky hair swaying.

“Hai!” She squealed, trotting towards the kitchen as fast as her pudgy legs could take her. She loved helping Kaachan make food!

The mirror she left behind glinted from a shaft of sunlight, reflecting it so that, for a brief moment, a shaft of light made the retreating toddler's hair look almost blond, but, then she was out of reach, and the image of a blond child running happily disappeared.

….................

Nara Shikamaru was a nice, lazy boy that Chokasho liked to sit next to when their parents met up. Aniki liked him too, and they would sit on either side of the more-often-than-not sleeping boy, munching happily on their snacks, as they waited for the grown-ups to finish up. Rarely, Shikamaru-kun was _awake_ during their get-togethers, and the twins would happily share their treats, but more often than not, they ended up eventually curling up beside him (after their food was gone) and taking naps on the grass under the clouds.

Yamanaka Ino, on the other hand, was a bossy, sweet girl who hated staying idle. Sometimes, Chokasho would let herself be dragged around to play with flowers or chase butterflies, just so Shikamaru-kun and Aniki could rest in peace, but other times she just got so _annoyed_. Because Chokasho was once Laura, and, as patient as Laura could be and as sweet-tempered as Chokasho was, the two of them shared the simple fact of _having a personal bubble._

So, whenever little, bossy Ino invaded that bubble for too long, or poked at Chokasho when she was already annoyed, Chokasho ran away. She hid from Ino, abandoning the boys to the little blondes mercy. Sometimes this meant hunting down Touchan and climbing into his lap with a grouchy huff, sometimes it meant finding a bush or tree to hide in.

Today, it meant climbing out of a window and running away from the Clan House, because Ino was being _persistent_ , having finally figured out that Chokasho was trying to _avoid her_. So, Chokasho left the Yamanaka Clan House, trotted irritably past bemused-looking pale-eyed blonds, her cheeks puffed out in ire and scowling fiercely as she stomped her way out of the gate towards her own home. Touchan would be upset, as would Kaachan and Aniki, but she _could not_ _ **stand**_ being in the same _house_ as Yamanaka Ino right then!

Stomping past civilians, she ignored them all for the most part, pudgy hands clenched into fists as she swerved around unobservant legs and stalls, her small, four-year-old body disappearing from view sometimes as she moved.

Well, until she ran into someone’s legs, that is, stumbling back onto her butt as she did.

“Watch it, brat!” The older boy snapped, sneering down at her as he and his friend turned, Chunin vests stark against black shirts. Both of them looked around fifteen, give or take, with dark hair and dark eyes. The only difference was that one had a small scar on his slightly more square chin, and that the other one, the one she’d run into, was about three inches taller.

“Sorry,” Chokasho muttered, scowling as she heaved herself up.

“You're an Akimichi, aren't you?” The scarred boy asked; at her nod, he smirked. “Maybe if you weren't so focused on food, you'd see where you were going,” he taunted; his friend was smirking as well, now, the two of them looming over her as she blinked up at them, confused. She hadn't been eating...

“Yeah, if you Akimichi weren't so obsessed with eating everything in sight, you might actually grow into _real_ Shinobi instead of useless balls of fat!” he laughed; Chokasho glared, her already frayed temper beginning to flare.

“Oh yeah?” She snapped, tiny fists curled at her sides. “Well, maybe if you actually had a _brain_ , you wouldn't be so _stupid_!” she snapped back. Instantly, both Chunin, no doubt newly made, sneered at her.

“Oh, you think you're clever, huh?” the tall one spat.

“Let's see how clever you are after a dip in the Naka River!” the other jeered; the two of them reached for her, and Chokasho _reacted_.

Laura had never been one to start fights. She preferred avoiding conflict and, when her temper snapped, was more prone to verbal spars before seeking solitude so she wouldn't hurt her friends accidentally. That being said, just because she didn't start physical fights, didn't mean she never _finished them_.

As soon as one of the boys touched her, Chokasho was lashing out, vague memories of Laura's tussles mixing with clear memories of the kata's her cousin Choyo had showed her filling her mind. As she moved, Laura's memories rose up, like a coach in her head.

 _If someone is bigger than you, make them smaller,_ she heard as she grabbed the boys wrist and yanked him forward with a surprising amount of strength, pulling him right off his feet.

 _If you headbutt someone, use the top of your forehead, it's the hardest part of your skull_ , she _knew_ , as his nose met her head with a gross _crunch_. He went down with a choked gasp, blood spurting, and Chokasho just barely dodged his friends lunge with an awkward stumble of her own.

 _Make sure they can't get back up when your back is turned_ , Laura encouraged as Chokasho jumped on the first boys shoulders, her full weight sending his bloody face into the hard ground as she lunged at his friend, and rammed her head straight into his groin. The abnormal amount of strength she put into the hit actually lifted him off the ground for a moment before she twisted out from under him with a scowl.

He joined his friend on the ground, curled into a ball and gray as a dead fish, eyes rolling up in his head and a strange, breathy keen whistling out of his mouth.

Panting, head aching, Chokasho glared at the two Chunin. The furious haze that had briefly covered her vision started fading as she panted, her cheeks heavily flushed and forehead sweaty, and she suddenly had the thought that she had just beaten two _Chunin_. Before it could _really_ sink in, however, an ANBU with the mask of a tiger appeared at her side, another with a boar mask suddenly crouching beside the two Chunin.

“Akimichi-chan,” the Tiger ANBU intoned seriously. “Come with me.” Blinking, Chokasho winced, the last of her temper fizzling out.

She was in _so_ much Trouble...

…............

Chokasho shifted in her chair anxiously as the Hokage watched her calmly. The ANBU had dropped her off in the visitor chair and vanished again, to go and get her Touchan. Chokasho couldn't look the Hokage in the eyes, not liking the feeling of being in trouble, of being _guilty_ , when the indignant fury of before was still fresh in her mind, making her stomach twist uncomfortably and her chest tight. She ended up sulkily glowering at his desk and the large piles of paperwork he was, even now, still working on.

“Would you like something to drink, Akimichi-chan?” he asked her kindly; Chokasho shook her head immediately.

“No thank you, Hokage-Sama,” she muttered; the Hokage hummed but nodded.

The door opened, and there stood not _only_ her Touchan, she saw with a wince, but also Shikaku and Inoichi, the Touchan's of her two friends. Hunching her shoulders slightly, Chokasho glared down at the carpet, blinking as, to the side of her, the black-clad legs of ANBU Tiger appeared.

“Hokage-Sama, something happened with my daughter?” Touchan asked, immediately stepping forward to touch Chokasho's head, making her wince as his gentle fingers brushed her forming bruise. Instantly, his hand was gone and he was kneeling next to her worriedly.

“Indeed, Choza,” the Hokage stated, and nodded at ANBU Tiger. “My ANBU brought young Chokasho-chan here, because she was caught fighting two Chunin.”

“What?” Touchan asked; the ANBU shifted as Chokasho stubbornly kept glaring at the ground.

“I and my patrol partner, Boar, happened upon Akimichi Chokasho during an altercation with Chunin's Sasaki Jun and Kato Minoru. I do not know the reason for the fight, but the outcome was plain. My partner and I stepped in before it could escalate further.”

“And where are these Chunin?” Shikaku asked mildly; ANBU Tiger paused.

“Boar escorted the two of them to the hospital, Nara-Sama.”

“You had to use force enough to _hospitalize them_?” Inoichi demanded, sounding aghast, as Touchan curled his hands over Chokasho immediately, looking equally horrified.

“No,” Tiger corrected, before pausing. “The damage done in their altercation with Akimichi Chokasho was the reason for their visit.” There was silence in the office for several stunned moments, as the girl in question glared at her pink-sandaled feet.

“Tiger,” the Hokage said calmly. “Are you saying the Akimichi-chan put two of my Chunin in the hospital.” It wasn't really a question, and Tiger nodded firmly.

“Hai, Hokage-Sama.”

“I see.” Chokasho grimaced at the blank, cool tone, and worry fought with temper, leaving her feeling vaguely nauseous and defensive.

“Dumpling?” Touchan called softly, large fingers trying to coax her head up, and Chokasho scowled furiously, eyes burning with angry tears as she reluctantly met her fathers worried eyes. “What happened?” Chokasho felt her lips grow tight as she tried not to let them tremble. “It's okay, sweet dumpling,” Touchan told her gently. “Just, please, explain what happened to me, okay?”

“We're not useless!” She blurted, the shout tearing from her throat loud enough to make her Touchan's head jerk back, eyes wide, and the words poured out. “Akimichi aren't useless and stupid and wastes of space! Eating alotta food doesn't make us useless, or fat, or _worthless Shinobi_! An', an' just 'cause those stupid _brats_ weren't being ob-observ-vant,” she stuttered, tears falling freely as she glared desperately up at her Touchan. “D-don't give them the _right_ to call me stupid an' worthless an' _fat_ and I wasn' even _eatin'_ and they _deserved it_!” Chest heaving, Chokasho struggled not to sob, her throat tight and her face flushed bright red as she cried furiously, rubbing at her eyes angrily because she didn't want to _cry_ , she wanted to _fight someone_.

“Oh, sweetness,” Choza breathed mournfully, reaching forward and pulling Chokasho into his arms. Burying her face into his neck, breath hitching, Chokasho struggled through her sobs.

“I believe that we can count taunting a minor Civilian Clan member as a mark against the Chunin, Hokage-Sama,” Shikaku stated mildly; Chokasho pulled back, hiccuping as she scrubbed a hand over her face, scowling over at Shikaku.

“Wouldn'a fought 'em if they hadn't threatened to throw me in the Naka.” Immediately, the tension in the air shot up.

“What.” Her Touchan said; Chokasho nodded firmly, sniffling with a scowl.

“They said I wouldn't be so smart after a swim in th' Naka River, and tried to grab me,” she told him; Inoichi stepped forward, features pinched.

“Hokage-Sama-” he started; the Hokage lifted a hand.

“They shall be punished,” was all he said, voice firm and unrelenting; Inoichi stepped back.

In that moment, ANBU Boar appeared, holding onto the upper arm of the Chunin with the broken nose. It looked like it still might be broken, actually, his eyes already starting to darken and swell and rolls of cotton shoved up each nostril. Chokasho glared at him wetly, her cheeks puffing up in anger. Choza soothingly stroked her spiky hair.

“Chunin Kato,” the Hokage greeted in a mild tone. “I see you are well enough to come here. And Chunin Sasaki's status, Boar?” The ANBU straightened slightly.

“Chunin Sasaki Jun is currently bed-bound, Hokage-Sama,” He reported blankly. “Akimichi Chokasho's strike broke bone and caused severe damage to his soft tissues.” The Hokage's eyebrows rose.

“A four-year-old put my Chunin in the hospital with broken bones,” he drew out slowly; ANBU Bear shifted his weight ever-so-slightly.

“She struck him in the groin, Hokage-Sama,” he announced bluntly. “With force, enough to break his pelvis and... Chunin Sasaki may not regain use or feeling of certain... Parts, Hokage-Sama.” The room was silent, as every adult seemed to blanch at the same time. Chokasho huffed and glared at ANBU Bear, who stood under her glare, unflinching, while the Chunin in his hold shuddered.

“I... _See_...” The Hokage managed slowly, with a slight cough.

Chunin Kato was given a six-month probation from out-of-village missions for threatening a civilian Clan member as well as a minor. Chunin Sasaki was forced into an eight-month medical leave that he spent working the Mission Desks, and regained only partial feeling back. Chokasho was grounded for three weeks, and had to undergo intense Training with her Touchan so that she could control her abnormal strength so she wouldn't cause more damage to her comrades than she should, as well as a full week of anger management classes with Inoichi (which ended up mostly being lessons on how to use anger to her advantage, and how not to let it blind her, so that she remained an effective Shinobi).

Word spread within the ranks about how you should never call an Akimichi fat, especially to their face, and wild rumors would continue to spring up for years, about the vicious revenge the usually gentle Clan would enact, _especially_ the female Akimichi.

It was a good start to a hopefully long life, despite the few hiccups.

….........

Chokasho and Choji enrolled in the Academy at six-years-old. It was the beginning of the rest of their lives.

 


	2. Academy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make Chokasho as realistically bad-ass as possible, given the circumstances, so, tell me what you think!!

**Itadakimasu**

 

**One**

_Academy_

 

Chokasho and Choji enrolled in the Academy at six-years-old. It was the beginning of the rest of their lives.

“Oh, my sweet dumplings are growing up so fast!” Their Kaachan exclaimed, beaming tearfully as the twins dug into the large portions of food she’d made them for breakfast, although Chokasho traded two of her tamagoyaki for her Aniki’s hourensou-no-gomaae. She loved the spinach salad, with it’s sesame dressing, and she could spare two of her little omelette-rolls for the extra veggie.

“Kaachan, of course we’re growing!” Chokasho declared, grinning up at her mother as she finished swallowing another spoonful of her miso soup. “You make such delicious food, how can we not grow fast?” Her mother beamed while Choji and their Touchan grinned as well, the boy nodding happily.

“The faster we grow, the more food we’ll get!” He declared dreamily, making Chokasho giggle.

“Oh, both of you,” their mother cooed, bustling off towards the kitchen to grab their already prepared bentos. Their Touchan ruffled their hair, already done eating his own meal, and nimbly stole a bite of Chokasho’s shiozake, grinning as the girl gasped in outrage and tried to steal the bite of salted salmon back. Choji wasn’t safe either, as he promptly had his umeboshi-onigiri stolen and devoured.

“Touchan!” The twins complained, making the large man laugh loudly, a full-bellied laugh that had the two six-year-olds grinning and laughing as well soon enough, as Choza scooped the two of them up and pulled them into a tight hug, pressing a tender kiss to first Choji’s forehead, then to Chokasho’s.

“You two are going to grow into fine, _strong_ Shinobi,” he told them both warmly, beaming proudly down at them with confidence. “I love you both, more than anything in this world or the next,” he told them sincerely, dark eyes glittering with happy tears before they squinted closed under the force of his grin. “Come, now, eat! The Academy will make you hungry if you’re not quick!”

“Hai, Touchan!” The twins declared, scooting off their father’s lap and back to their seats, stuffing what food remained into their mouths until their cheeks bulged like chipmunks, sending their father into raucous laughter once more, their mother joining when she returned to find them trying to pout at Choza only to look twice as poofy.

Chokasho forced her mouthful of food down carefully, gulping down a drink of her water, and couldn’t help beaming at her parents. Truly, despite the vague memories and knowledge of Laura floating around her head, she couldn’t have been happier with this family.

 

**................**

 

Chokasho enjoyed the first few days of the Academy. Their teacher, Tanaka-Sensei, was a friendly, cheerful man with dark blue hair and equally dark blue eyes who made the stretches and running exercises seem like a game. He helped them with their hand-signs and praised them easily, encouraging the all happily.

But Chokasho was quick to notice that he wasn’t _equally_ nice. He was nicer to the Clan kids than the Civilians, for example. And nicer to the Civilian Clan kids than the orphans.

But he was especially, _noticeably_ , nicer to _everyone_ compared to one, particular, orphan.

Uzumaki Naruto had bright blond hair that was very spiky and almost always kinda dirty. His eyes were bright blue, and his skin deep tan, and he had whisker-like marks on his cheeks. And, when he wasn’t yelling about how he was going to be Hokage, or about how boring Tanaka-Sensei was, or just being loud _because_ , he was blank-eyed and grim and glaring at nothing in particular. He was scrawny, dirty, and sad.

And the fact that Tanaka-Sensei saw fit to scold him, to ignore him, to push him around when he thought no one was looking or let the other kids do it, it upset Chokasho, made that temper that boiled in her stomach rise up like a stepped-on cat, hissing and spitting and claws coming out.

It was on their fifth day at the Academy that Chokasho snapped at her teacher when he scolded Naruto for disrupting the class when he asked, loudly (almost everything about Naruto was loud. Loud and bright and _look-at-me_ , and it made Laura rise up more and more, whispers of things like _neglect_ and _abandoned_ and _stray cat_. The resulting headaches did absolutely nothing to help Chokasho’s temper) about what Chakra was and how it made Jutsu,

“He’s not disrupting anything, Tanaka-Sensei,” she finally snapped, cheeks puffing out as her hands turned to fists around her bag of beef-jerky, which she hadn’t even had the stomach to _open_ today, temper and headache hard and hot beneath her skin, neck and shoulders aching from tension. “It’s a good question! What, _exactly_ is Chakra? How does it work? Where does it come from? It’s not a bad question!” She declared, glowering up at the frowning Chunin (Why was it always a Chunin that made her Temper rise?).

“Akimichi-chan, you won’t go over Chakra until next year,” he told her, trying to calm her down, but that just incensed her further, the bag in her hands beginning to tear as she struggled not to snarl, bruise-colored paisleys standing out as her eyes squinted shut and her puffed up cheeks flushed angrily.

“Then why didn’t you _tell him that_?!” She demanded. “Why not jus’ _answer him_ , instead of scolding him for asking, like he’s not _supposed to_ _ **ask**_?!”

“Akimichi-chan—” he tried to interrupt; Chokasho wasn’t having it.

“Why do you always single him out, huh?!” She snapped, glaring. “You’re our _teacher_! So why do you not wanna teach Uzumaki anything?! Shame on you!” Now Tanaka-Sensei was flushed red.

“Enough!” He shouted, startling everyone but Chokasho, who jumped to her feet, dropping her bag to put her fists on her hips and puff up even bigger.

“No, it’s _not_ enough!” she shouted right back furiously, feeling like her whole body was going to start steaming from how angry she was. “I want _answers_! I wanna know why you’re being pre-prejudiced against Uzumaki, against all the orphans and civilian-born students, and don’t say you aren’t 'cause you _are_!” That seemed to be the final straw, however, because Tanaka-Sensei moved and grabbed her by the scruff, her dark blue vest and pink shirt straining lightly against her weight as he stomped out of the room and dropped her roughly on the floor.

“You will stay out here until you’re ready to sit down and pay attention to class, Akimichi-chan,” he snapped, stepping back and shutting the door with a sharp click. Incensed, Chokasho hissed at the door, feeling her body instinctively start to bulk up as her Chakra, weak and small as it was, burbled and boiled under her skin at her anger. There was a fire in her belly, in her chest, in her _throat_ , like a volcano waiting to burst, molten lava-temper boiling through her veins and making her jaw _ache_ from how hard she was clenching it.

Furious, she spun on heel and ran as fast and as hard as she could, head down and eyes gleaming wrathfully as she bulldozed forward. She didn’t care that she actually broke _through_ the Academy doors in an explosion of splinters and metal and even a few chunks of stone that was ripped away. She ignored the cuts that stung on her face and the pieces of rubble that clung to her hair and clothes as she ran, pink sandals kicking up a trail of dust as she darted towards the direction she could vaguely feel the warm, protective well of her Touchans Chakra.

She couldn’t feel _everything_ or _everyone_ , not like her cousin Chomaru’s girlfriend could, but, if she knew you well enough, Chokasho could find you anywhere within a large area, no matter what.

Which is how she finds her Touchan, fifteen minutes of non-stop running later, body still bulked out a good four inches in every direction and angry Chakra crackling around her fingers, in one of the Jounin Lounges, panting in the doorway and scowling fit enough to crack stone.

“Dumpling?” Choza asked, startled, as he gets up and moves away from where he’d been talking amicably with a heavily scarred, intimidating-looking Jounin with a duster and a bandana.

“Touchan, I won’t take it, I won’t!” she snapped, stomping one foot and ignoring the way the stone beneath it cracked badly, temper well and truly enveloping her.

“Easy, _easy_ , Dumpling,” her Touchan soothed, kneeling and settling his hands tenderly on her shoulders. “Deep breaths, just like Inoichi said, remember? Deep breath in, slow breath out, shrink down, sweetness.” Huffing out a short breath, Chokasho impatiently obeyed, taking a huge breath in and letting it out slowly, carefully, and repeated it until her muscles released their angry Chakra and she was back to normal size, her clothes a little looser after the steady strain, but they’d return to normal size soon enough.

They were Akimichi-clothes, after all.

“Good,” Choza praised kindly. “Now, tell me what happened. Did someone say something mean again?” Chokasho huffed, glowering irritably, not liking how fast her temper was already starting to settle into a low simmer instead of its raging fury.

“Tanaka-Sensei is being a jerk,” she told her father firmly, scowling. “He’s treating the Civilian kids like they’re in, um, inferior,” she said, stumbling over the only vaguely familiar sounding word, frowning. “And he’s treating the orphan kids like they’re doomed to drop out, an', an' worse than that, he’s treating the Uzumaki kid like he’s _already_ dropped out and is too stupid to know it!” Chokasho huffed, folding her arms irritably as she eyes her Touchan.

“Uzumaki?” he asked carefully; Chokasho nodded sharply.

“He’s the orphan blond kid, the one who’s _always_ loud,” she told him firmly. “Well, see, he’s always asking questions, you know? Trying to learn about this or that, like, like yesterday, he asked why only Chunin were teachers, and why only Jounin taught Genin and if the Hokage could teach teams while _being_ Hokage, ya know? And Tanaka-Sensei kicked him out of the class for disturbing the lesson. But, when Suzuki Ayame asked almost the same thing, he answered _her_ question. And, then today, today Uzumaki was asking about Chakra, and Tanaka-Sensei was scolding him, and I just got angry and told him not to yell at Uzumaki, ‘cause it was a _good question_ and why couldn’t he just _answer it_ ,” she took a deep, gulping breath as her muscles started tensing again, hands in fists at her sides and cheeks still flushed as she held her Touchan’s eyes.

“It’s not _fair_ to ignore Uzumaki’s questions, he hasn’t _done anything_! He’s in the Academy to _learn_ , Touchan, ‘cause he wants to be a _Shinobi_ and _protect the Village_! Just like me an’ Aniki! An’ an’, when _I_ asked Tanaka-Sensei the _same question_ , he _answered_ _ **me**_! But, but then, when I yelled at him for not just _answering_ Uzumaki, he was yellin’ back, and then he scooped me up and dumped me in the hallway until I was ‘ready to sit down and pay attention’,” she mocked in her most nasally voice, bitterness edging it as she snorted, puffing air out her nose with a heavy, angry sulk. “How’m I supposed to trust a teacher that won’t _teach_ even _one_ of us jus’ _‘cause_ , Touchan?” she finally asked, shoulders slumping unhappily. “An', an' how'm I supposed to trust that he's teachin' the rest of us the _right things_? What if, what if he doesn't teach us somethin' _important_ , just 'cause he doesn't want Uzumaki or the Civilian kids to learn it?” The anger was cooling now, leaving an aching chill in her shoulders that made her slump tiredly, rage melting into disappointment and sorrow and tired, tired eyes as she looked at her Touchan.

“...I won't have it, Touchan,” she told him quietly. “I won't stand for someone who's supposed ta be _responsible_  for us, for makin' us _all_ into Shinobi, _for the good of the village_ , decidin' he doesn't _want us_ to learn just _'cause_.” Touchan stroked her hair, gently pulling pieces of stone and wood from her spiky mess, making she nose crinkle a little bit as dust fell onto her shoulders.

“I'll see what I can do, Dumpling,” he told her, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead, before scooping her up into his arms and walking away. Chokasho sighed, leaning her cheek against his large shoulder, wincing as scratches were pressed. Behind him, in the Jounin Lounge, the large, scarred man in black was blank-faced and darkly considering.

 

**..................**

 

Tanaka-Sensei had been taken away by a couple Jounin, and no one had seen him since then. The new Sensei, Kimura-Sensei, was bald, black-eyed, and had a sharp, no-nonsense attitude. He didn't accept disrespect from anyone, handed out study-assignments and Chakra Exercises as punishment, and was quick to shut down any playing or rough-housing. He was “mean” but...

But he answered _everyone's_ questions. He treated the Civilian and Clan kids the same. He gave you punishment no matter who your family was. He made sure everyone understood, or at least kept up, with a subject before changing it.

Everyone in class (minus Aniki, Shika, Ino, and a few other Clan kids) was mad at Chokasho for “tattling” and making fun, nice Tanaka-Sensei get sent away, but she didn't care. Kimura-Sensei, despite being mean, was _so much_ _ **better**_ , and she wouldn't take back _anything_!

...Except breaking the Academy doors. Her Kaachan made her fix them, with the help of a Genin Team, and she had had to write a _long_ essay about why she shouldn't break doors when angry. In _kanji_. To the _Hokage_.

Kaachans could be _scary_.

 

**..................**

 

Chokasho frowned as she eyed the boulder her cousin Chodai had been carrying around the Clan Grounds. He'd been doing it for _weeks_ now, and, she remembered how at first he hadn't been able to do more than a handful of careful, stumbling steps at a time. Now he hefted it up onto his shoulders as if it was _her_ , smugly-pleased and bright-eyed.

She wanted to try it, but the parts of her head that were Laura said _pace yourself_. Hazy images of a hound dog puppy trying to chase birds with fumbling, staggering steps, morphing into a large dog who could race _horses_ with grace. _Baby steps_ , Laura coached, and, like usual, Chokasho decided to agree.

Instead of trying to pick up the boulder, she hunted down a rock that was almost the size of her head. It wasn't _hard_ to pick it up, cradling it to her chest like a watermelon, but...

But Chodai-nii carried the boulder on his shoulders, so, she would too.

Holding the rock up on her shoulders wasn't hard either, but only at first. As she walked around the Compound, however, her muscles began to hurt steadily, straining against the unfamiliar weight, and _this_ must be what Chodai-nii had been feeling only, like, a _hundred times worse_.

She carried the rock for _hours_ , until her arms were weak as watered-down tea and trembling faintly. She then set the rock next to Chodai-nii's boulder, patting it gently before hunting down a snack.

The next day, her arms felt like they'd be kneaded like bread, but Chodai-nii was waiting next to his boulder and her rock, grinning brightly, the pale blue spots lining the bottom of his eyes making them look brighter.

“Are you ready to train with me, little cousin?” He'd asked, and Chokasho suddenly didn't _care_ that she had been going to hunt for four-leaf clovers anymore, because she wanted to train with her cousin more than anything now.

“Hai!” She chirped, ignoring her aching arms and shoulders, and hefting the rock up onto her shoulders the same time Chodai did.

“Let's go, then!” He laughed, and began to _jog_ , making Chokasho huff as she followed him. As the training went on, however, Chodai continued jogging steadily, and Chokasho struggled, _hard_ , to keep up with him, dripping sweat and red-faced with exertion.

“Maybe we should stop for a little while, hmm?” Chodai suggested when they paused to drink water and share a couple rice balls. Immediately, Laura and Chokasho's competitive streak _roared_.

“No way, Niisan!” She declared fiercely, scowling. “I'm gonna keep up, no matter what!” Chodai hesitated, smiling a little, bemused.

“Don't push yourself too hard, little cousin,” he told her firmly. “We'll continue, but we'll be stopping in an hour, no matter what, understand?” Huffing, cheeks puffed up with her ire, Chokasho nodded.

“Okay,” she agreed reluctantly, and that's exactly what they did, one hour more of jogging, and, by the end of it, Chokasho was _staggering_. The pause for a snack had _ruined_ her, making tense muscles relax and exhaustion edge through her. Groaning from where she lay on the ground next to her rock, she valiantly tried not to pout as Chodai-nii laughed warmly, carefully setting his Boulder next to her.

“Same time tomorrow, Little Cousin!” He told her cheerfully; Chokasho lifted her head to stare at him disbelievingly. “Unless you think you'll be too tired?” he asked, and although he meant it in genuine concern and consideration, Chokasho felt a fire light in her belly and scowled at him.

“You're on, Chodai-nii!” She shouted, forcing her trembling arms to lift her up, settling on her knees to point right at her older cousin's bemused face. “I'm gonna work _so hard_ that I'll be carrying _your_ rock like it's a _pebble_ before I graduate, just you watch!” Laughing, Chodai helped her to her feet.

“If you say so, little cousin,” he said amicably, but Chokasho scowled.

She would do it, she _could_ do it, and she would _prove it_.

And so, every day, right after Academy, Chokasho and Chodai carried their rocks around the Clan Compound for exactly two-and-a-half hours.

And that was only the beginning.

 

**................**

 

“Come _on_ , Chokasho!” Ino whined, dragging the larger girl through the crowded street impatiently.

“Where are we even going, Ino?” Chokasho asked, exasperated as they ducked under a pair of Genin carrying a couch.

“Aki-chan heard from Misa-chan, who heard from her brother Ken, who ran into Taro-kun and Saito-kun, who told him that Watari-san had just told them, that Sasuke-kun is _swimming_ , without his _shirt on_ , at the Suzuki Family pond!” She squealed, blue eyes bright, and, immediately, Chokasho dug her feet it, all but yanking Ino off her feet from the sudden halt.

“Lemme get this straight,” she started, staring disbelievingly at the other girl. “You just dragged me away from _free dango_ , so we can go stare at a boy who doesn't even _care_ about you, _just_  'cause he's _shirtless_?!” she demanded; Ino huffed, letting go of her wrist to rest her hands on her hips and scowl at Chokasho.

“Sasuke-kun cares!” She snapped, affronted. “He's just a _quiet soul_ , Chokasho! He likes to watch the world around him, always ready to jump in and save someone...” She trailed off dreamily, sighing; Chokasho stared, deadpan.

“He ain't a quiet soul, Ino,” she stated blandly. “It's called being'  _antisocial_. Inoichi-ojisan worked in _interrogation_ , Ino, I _know_ you know what an _introvert_ is, and how _constant_ starin' an' crowdin' makes them _unhappy_ and _uncomfortable_! So _why_ are you _doing that_?!” Ino huffed and rolled her eyes, scowling at Chokasho.

“You're just jealous 'cause Sasuke-kun won't ever look at _you_ like he looks at _me_ ~!” She declared meanly; Chokasho rolled her eyes.

“What, like I'm a cockroach on his bedroom wall?” She snapped back; Ino reared back with an offended hiss and whirled around, hands curled in tight fists and back to Chokasho.

“Fine then!” She shouted, storming away. “If you're going to be like that, then we're not friends anymore!” Chokasho frowned, watching Ino stomp off.

“Fine,” she said quietly, looking away. “It's not like you're givin' up on _years_ of friendship for a boy you've only known _three months_ ,” she muttered quietly, turning away. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her dark blue shorts, she kicked a pebble moodily and wandered away.

She didn't see what was so special about Uchiha Sasuke. Sure, he was smart and he was good at Taijutsu and throwing Kunai and Shuriken, but he was _crap_ at _talking to people_. He _brooded_ and _sulked_ and moved around so that he was as far away from people as possible, and the only person she'd ever seen him smile at was his big brother, Uchiha Itachi, who was so much more awesome in her opinion. But every girl her age was just _swarming_ the boy.

They didn't care about _him_ , though. The Civilian Clan girls were all giggly about the fact he was _an Uchiha_. The Clan girls were giggly about the fact he was _the Spare Uchiha_ as Heir Itachi was 'unreachable'. The Orphan girls were giggly about his _looks_.

Not _one_ of them seemed to _care_ that he _did_ _ **not**_ _like_ _ **people**_! They didn't care at _all_! They just kept cornering him and swarming him and _fighting_ over him and Chokasho _would_ _ **not**_ fall for that _stupidity_! She didn't even understand why they were so obsessed in the first place, to be honest. She could admire his work ethics, in a way, because he worked so hard because he wanted to make his family proud, she could get behind that, but besides that? She just didn't understand the appeal.

He had black hair, dark eyes, and pale skin. The other girls all squealed about how cute and handsome he was, but, she just, well.

He just looked _normal_ to her?

She actually thought Haruno Sakura, with her bright pink hair and pretty green eyes, was _much_ prettier and better looking than Sasuke. And Nakamura Senri, a girl two years older, with her caramel-colored hair and chocolate colored eyes, was _beautiful_. And, and she shared _mochi_ with her! Sure, she tended to complain about her little sister, Himari, and how she could beat her older brother, Sora, if she _really_ wanted to, but, hey, Chokasho didn't mind.

But, anyways, yeah. Chokasho didn't understand the total fixation her classmates had, especially at the expense of the young Uchiha. If something made someone uncomfortable, then, outside of a fight or something, you _shouldn't do it_. She'd learned, as Laura, that people had _limits_. Emotional, physical, mental, all of them could be pushed to breaking point _easily_. Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, or the _right_ thing at the wrong time, could _irreparably_   _damage_ someone.

And Chokasho?

She interfered when she could, she tried to _reason_ with her classmates, but, no matter what she said, it was taken as _jealousy_ or something else.

She didn't have many friends, anymore.

And now she had one less.

Sighing lowly, she kicked another pebble and kept walking.

 

**................**

 

The first time she see's him, he's just a bright colored blur that darts past her on the street, kicking up a dust trail, and she's startled, but willing to ignore him.

But then he passes her again. And again. And _again_. And then...

He's impossible to ignore.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Chokasho - Butterfly Song


End file.
